CMS Innovation Center Strategy Analysis: Opportunities for Health Tech Entrepreneurs

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) has released a new strategic vision titled "Make America Healthy Again," marking a significant shift in how the federal government aims to transform healthcare delivery and payment models. This comprehensive analysis explores the strategy's three core pillars: promoting evidence-based prevention, empowering people to achieve their health goals, and driving choice and competition. For health tech entrepreneurs, this strategic direction creates numerous opportunities to develop innovative solutions that align with CMMI's vision while addressing persistent challenges in our healthcare system.

The timing of this strategy is particularly significant as it builds upon 15 years of alternative payment model experimentation and coincides with rapid technological advancement in healthcare. Health tech entrepreneurs positioned at this intersection of policy and innovation stand to benefit substantially if they can align their solutions with CMMI's new strategic priorities while delivering measurable improvements in health outcomes and cost reduction.

The Evolution of CMMI and Its Strategic Importance

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), established under the Affordable Care Act in 2010, has served as the federal government's primary laboratory for testing new healthcare payment and delivery models. Over the past 15 years, CMMI has launched dozens of models affecting healthcare delivery across various settings, populations, and conditions. These experiments have yielded valuable insights into what works—and what doesn't—in healthcare transformation.

The release of the "Make America Healthy Again" strategy represents a pivotal moment in CMMI's evolution. This strategy signals a shift from primarily provider-focused payment models to a more holistic approach that emphasizes prevention, consumer empowerment, and market competition. Understanding this strategic pivot is essential for health tech entrepreneurs seeking to align their innovations with federal priorities and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

The Healthcare Entrepreneurial Landscape in 2025

As of 2025, the healthcare technology sector continues to experience robust growth, with digital health funding reaching unprecedented levels despite periodic market corrections. Innovations in artificial intelligence, remote monitoring, digital therapeutics, and value-based care enablement tools have proliferated. Yet the healthcare system still faces significant challenges: fragmentation of care, unsustainable costs, administrative burden, health inequities, and suboptimal patient outcomes.

Health tech entrepreneurs operate in this dynamic environment, navigating complex regulatory requirements, competing for investment capital, and striving to demonstrate value to healthcare stakeholders with diverse and sometimes conflicting priorities. CMMI's new strategy offers a roadmap for entrepreneurs to align their innovations with federal objectives, potentially accelerating adoption and scaling of technologies that advance the triple aim of improved patient experience, better population health, and lower costs.

Part I: Understanding CMMI's "Make America Healthy Again" Strategy

Strategic Pillar 1: Promote Evidence-Based Prevention

Key Components and Objectives

The first pillar of CMMI's strategy places prevention at the center of healthcare transformation. This focus encompasses the full spectrum of preventive interventions. Primary Prevention encompasses activities designed to prevent disease occurrence, such as health and nutrition counseling and tobacco cessation programs. Secondary Prevention focuses on early detection efforts before symptoms appear, including cancer screenings and other diagnostic testing. Tertiary Prevention involves disease management approaches to slow progression of chronic conditions and improve outcomes, such as diabetes and hypertension management programs.

CMMI aims to embed preventive care across its model portfolio by modifying existing models and developing new ones that increase access to and uptake of prevention services; creating incentives for both providers and beneficiaries to prioritize prevention; engaging community-based initiatives to support prevention efforts; testing beneficiary engagement incentives tied to health promotion and sustained lifestyle changes; and granting providers access to new waivers that offer flexibility in delivering preventive care.

Measurement and Evaluation Approach

A critical aspect of this pillar is CMMI's commitment to measuring the impact of preventive interventions on health outcomes and costs. The strategy emphasizes focusing quality measures and evaluations on preventive health outcomes that matter most to people; developing intermediate markers to track success for preventive interventions with longer-term impacts; leveraging qualitative and quantitative data to measure the effectiveness of provider and beneficiary incentives; and building an evidence base to inform scaling of successful models into permanent programs.

Strategic Pillar 2: Empowering People to Achieve Their Health Goals

Data Access and Transparency

The second pillar addresses the fragmented nature of the healthcare system and aims to better connect people with their health data. Key elements include Unlocking Data Access by building on past initiatives like Blue Button and public reporting websites, with CMMI leveraging new technology to help individuals drive their health goals. Consumer Tools and Applications may be tested, including mobile applications, shared decision-making tools, and health education materials that can empower people to manage chronic conditions and improve wellbeing. Provider and Service Transparency will be enhanced as CMMI models provide data on cost and quality performance of providers to foster development of consumer-facing comparison tools. Improved Information Flow will be prioritized as models push forward data transparency among providers to ensure information flows effectively between hospitals, specialists, primary care providers, and health plans.

Aligning Financial Incentives with Health Outcomes

This pillar also focuses on aligning incentives for individuals and providers through Global Risk and Total Cost of Care Models, where CMMI will continue testing models where providers have direct accountability for health outcomes and costs. Value-Based Provider Payments will be supported through new mechanisms for patient-centered payments within Medicare Advantage and ACOs, potentially incorporating plan adoption of advanced payment into quality incentives. CMMI will explore testing Specialty-Focused Longitudinal Care within Medicare Advantage and Medicaid. Affordability Mechanism may include waivers for predictable cost-sharing for certain services, drugs, or devices that improve outcomes and reduce costs, as well as value-based drug and insurance designs.

Strategic Pillar 3: Drive Choice and Competition

Supporting Independent Providers

The third pillar aims to promote competition in healthcare markets and increase patient choice by Leveling the Playing Field for providers practicing independently outside of health system or health plan ownership. Financial Support Mechanisms may include expanded use of advanced shared savings and prospective payments, collecting losses over longer time periods, and enabling upfront investment through collateralization methods designated by CMMI. The strategy emphasizes stimulating and supporting a wider variety of participating providers and practices, including those in rural communities and those focusing on complex care and specialty populations.

Enhancing Consumer Choice

CMMI recognizes the importance of consumer choice in both coverage options and care settings. Medicare Advantage models will be designed to increase high-value coverage options and help beneficiaries select plans that best meet their health needs. This could involve testing changes to payment for MA plans, such as inferred risk scores, regional benchmarks, or quality measures that better align with promoting health.

The strategy also emphasizes giving people more choice regarding where they receive care and who comprises their care team. Models may require site-neutral payments across settings to reduce costs and reinvest hospital capacity in outpatient and community-based care through changes to certificate of need requirements. Additionally, models can support expanded scopes of practice, virtual care, and at-home care to enhance flexibility in care delivery.

Improving Administration of Value-Based Payment Programs

CMMI acknowledges that participation in its models often entails administrative burden. The strategy outlines approaches to improve administration, including increasing predictability by minimizing mid-model changes, standardizing design features where appropriate, and allowing models to operate until final evaluation results are available if early results are promising.

Protecting the Federal Taxpayer

Underlying all three strategic pillars is a foundational principle of protecting the federal taxpayer, which aligns with CMMI's statutory mandate to produce cost savings. The strategy emphasizes shifting financial risk from taxpayers by requiring all alternative payment models to involve downside risk, ensuring providers bear some financial risk, reducing the role of state government in rate setting, refining benchmarking methodologies, and prioritizing high-value care while reducing unnecessary utilization.

Part II: Implications and Opportunities for Health Tech Entrepreneurs

The CMMI strategy presents a wealth of opportunities for health tech entrepreneurs aligned with its core pillars. This section explores these opportunities in detail, highlighting how entrepreneurs can position their solutions to address CMMI priorities while solving critical healthcare challenges.

Prevention Technology Opportunities

Remote Monitoring and Connected Health Devices

The strategy's emphasis on prevention creates significant opportunities for remote monitoring technologies and connected health devices. These solutions enable continuous tracking of health metrics and early intervention when indicators suggest developing health issues. Entrepreneurs developing remote monitoring solutions for chronic disease management, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, and COPD, are particularly well-positioned to benefit from CMMI's prevention focus.

Smart watches, connected blood pressure cuffs, continuous glucose monitors, smart scales, and other consumer-friendly health devices that generate actionable data can support preventive care initiatives. CMMI models may increasingly incorporate these technologies to facilitate early detection of health issues and support ongoing management of chronic conditions. The key for entrepreneurs is designing solutions that not only collect data but also translate it into meaningful interventions that improve outcomes and reduce costs.

Digital Therapeutics for Behavior Change

CMMI's focus on prevention also creates opportunities for digital therapeutics targeting behavior change. Software applications that deliver evidence-based interventions for smoking cessation, weight management, nutrition counseling, stress reduction, and medication adherence align directly with the prevention pillar.

Digital therapeutics that can demonstrate measurable improvements in health outcomes while reducing healthcare costs are likely to find support within CMMI models. Particularly promising are solutions that address social determinants of health by connecting users with community resources or providing tailored support based on individuals' specific needs and circumstances.

Predictive Analytics and Risk Stratification

The strategy's emphasis on measuring preventive outcomes creates opportunities for predictive analytics and risk stratification tools. These technologies help identify individuals at risk of developing health issues before they occur, enabling targeted preventive interventions.

Entrepreneurs developing AI-based predictive models that analyze clinical, demographic, and social factors to identify high-risk individuals can help healthcare organizations focus their preventive efforts where they will have the greatest impact. Machine learning algorithms that continuously refine predictions based on new data can support more personalized and effective prevention strategies.

Consumer Empowerment Technology Opportunities

Personal Health Records and Data Integration Platforms

CMMI's focus on unlocking data access creates opportunities for personal health records and data integration platforms. These solutions aggregate health information from multiple sources, providing individuals with a comprehensive view of their health data and enabling more informed decision-making.

Entrepreneurs developing user-friendly interfaces for accessing and interpreting health data can help bridge the gap between data availability and actionable insights. Solutions that integrate data from electronic health records, claims, pharmacy, wearables, and other sources while presenting information in an accessible format will be particularly valuable in supporting consumer empowerment.

Decision Support Tools and Navigation Platforms

The strategy's emphasis on empowering people to make informed health decisions creates opportunities for decision support tools and navigation platforms. These solutions help individuals understand their health options, compare providers based on quality and cost, and navigate the complex healthcare system.

Entrepreneurs developing tools that simplify healthcare decision-making—such as platforms for comparing providers, estimating out-of-pocket costs, or identifying appropriate care pathways—can help realize CMMI's vision of consumer empowerment. Particularly valuable are solutions that personalize recommendations based on individual health needs, preferences, and insurance coverage.

Virtual Care and Care Coordination Platforms

CMMI's focus on flexible care delivery models creates opportunities for virtual care and care coordination platforms. These solutions enable individuals to receive care conveniently while ensuring coordination across different providers and settings.

Entrepreneurs developing telehealth platforms, asynchronous communication tools, or care coordination systems can support CMMI's goal of connecting people with the care they need in their communities. Solutions that facilitate collaboration between primary care, specialists, community organizations, and caregivers will be particularly valuable in addressing fragmentation and improving care continuity.

Market Competition Technology Opportunities

Practice Management Solutions for Independent Providers

CMMI's focus on supporting independent providers creates opportunities for practice management solutions tailored to smaller practices. These solutions help independent providers compete with larger health systems by streamlining operations, reducing administrative burden, and enabling participation in value-based care models.

Entrepreneurs developing affordable, user-friendly practice management systems, revenue cycle management tools, or quality reporting solutions can help level the playing field for independent providers. Particularly valuable are technologies that require minimal upfront investment and technical expertise while offering robust functionality for managing patient populations and performance metrics.

Value-Based Care Enablement Platforms

The strategy's emphasis on global risk and total cost of care models creates opportunities for value-based care enablement platforms. These solutions help providers succeed under risk-based contracts by providing the data, analytics, and workflow tools needed to manage population health effectively.

Entrepreneurs developing platforms that integrate clinical and financial data, identify care gaps, track quality measures, manage referrals, and forecast financial performance can support providers transitioning to value-based care. Solutions that simplify participation in multiple payment models while minimizing administrative burden will be particularly valuable in advancing CMMI's goals.

Transparency Tools and Provider Directories

CMMI's focus on provider and service transparency creates opportunities for tools that help consumers compare providers based on quality, cost, and other factors. These solutions support informed decision-making and drive competition based on value rather than market consolidation.

Entrepreneurs developing provider directories, quality comparison tools, or price transparency platforms can help realize CMMI's vision of a more competitive healthcare marketplace. Particularly valuable are solutions that present complex healthcare quality and cost information in an accessible format, enabling consumers to make meaningful comparisons across providers and services.

Part III: Strategic Approaches for Health Tech Entrepreneurs

Health tech entrepreneurs seeking to capitalize on opportunities created by CMMI's strategy should consider several strategic approaches to enhance their chances of success.

Building Evidence and Measuring Impact

CMMI's emphasis on evidence-based models underscores the importance of demonstrating the impact of health technology solutions on outcomes and costs. Entrepreneurs should invest in rigorous evaluation methodologies, partner with academic institutions for independent validation, and design solutions with embedded measurement capabilities.

Successful approaches include developing clear theories of change that articulate how specific technological interventions lead to improved outcomes, establishing meaningful metrics that align with CMMI priorities, and collecting both quantitative and qualitative data to demonstrate impact. Entrepreneurs should also consider measuring outcomes over appropriate timeframes, recognizing that some preventive interventions may take time to yield measurable results.

Forging Strategic Partnerships

Entrepreneurs can enhance their chances of success by forging strategic partnerships with organizations participating in CMMI models. These partnerships provide opportunities to test and refine solutions in real-world settings while gaining valuable insights into implementation challenges and provider needs.

Potential partners include accountable care organizations, Medicare Advantage plans, community health centers, rural providers, and independent practice associations. By aligning with these organizations' strategic objectives and addressing their specific pain points, entrepreneurs can develop more targeted and effective solutions while gaining credibility and market traction.

Navigating Regulatory Considerations

Health tech entrepreneurs must navigate complex regulatory considerations when developing solutions that align with CMMI priorities. This includes understanding data privacy and security requirements, interoperability standards, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement policies, and the regulatory flexibilities available under CMMI models.

Successful approaches include staying informed about evolving regulations, engaging with regulatory experts early in the development process, designing solutions with compliance in mind, and maintaining flexibility to adapt to changing regulatory requirements. Entrepreneurs should also consider how CMMI waivers and flexibilities might enable new applications of their technologies within model tests.

Securing Sustainable Funding and Business Models

Developing sustainable business models is essential for health tech entrepreneurs seeking to capitalize on CMMI opportunities. This involves identifying who benefits from the solution, who pays for it, and how value is captured over time.

Entrepreneurs should explore multiple revenue streams, including direct contracting with providers and payers, licensing or subscription models, shared savings arrangements, and potential reimbursement through Medicare and Medicaid. They should also consider how their business models might evolve as CMMI models transition from testing to permanent programs, with a focus on sustainability beyond initial grant funding or pilot contracts.

Part IV: Deep Dive into Key Technology Domains

AI and Machine Learning Applications

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have transformative potential across all three CMMI strategic pillars. In prevention, AI can identify patterns indicating developing health issues before symptoms appear, enabling earlier intervention. For consumer empowerment, AI can personalize health information and recommendations based on individual characteristics and preferences. In market competition, AI can help smaller providers optimize operations and care delivery to compete with larger organizations.

Entrepreneurs developing AI solutions should focus on transparency, explainability, and bias mitigation to build trust among healthcare stakeholders. They should also prioritize practical applications that solve specific problems rather than pursuing AI for its own sake. Particularly promising applications include predictive risk stratification, clinical decision support, administrative automation, personalized coaching, and resource optimization.

Mobile Health and Digital Therapeutics

Mobile health applications and digital therapeutics align closely with CMMI's focus on prevention and consumer empowerment. These solutions extend healthcare beyond traditional settings, enabling ongoing engagement and support between clinic visits. They can facilitate behavior change, medication adherence, symptom monitoring, and self-management of chronic conditions.

Entrepreneurs in this space should focus on user experience design, behavioral science principles, and integration with clinical workflows to maximize adoption and impact. They should also consider how their solutions can address health equity by accommodating various literacy levels, languages, cultural preferences, and access limitations. Particularly promising applications include evidence-based behavior change programs, medication adherence support, remote monitoring with clinical escalation pathways, and chronic disease self-management tools.

Interoperability and Data Exchange Solutions

Interoperability and data exchange solutions are foundational to all three CMMI strategic pillars. Seamless data flow between different systems and stakeholders is essential for coordinated preventive care, consumer access to health information, and efficient market competition. Despite progress in interoperability standards, significant challenges remain in connecting disparate healthcare data sources and making information actionable.

Entrepreneurs developing interoperability solutions should focus on reducing implementation complexity, enhancing data quality and usability, and addressing privacy and security concerns. They should also consider how their solutions can support data exchange across the care continuum, including with community-based organizations addressing social determinants of health. Particularly promising applications include API-based integration platforms, consent management solutions, data transformation services, and analytics that derive insights from diverse data sources.

Value-Based Care Infrastructure

CMMI's emphasis on global risk and total cost of care models creates demand for value-based care infrastructure—the technological backbone supporting risk-bearing entities. This infrastructure enables population health management, financial performance monitoring, quality measurement, and care coordination across settings and providers.

Entrepreneurs developing value-based care infrastructure should focus on integration with existing systems, workflow alignment, and scalability across different payment models and provider types. They should also consider how their solutions can support both technical and adaptive changes required for successful value-based care implementation. Particularly promising applications include population health management platforms, provider performance analytics, risk adjustment optimization tools, referral management systems, and care gap identification and closure solutions.

Part V: Case Studies and Success Models

Prevention-Focused Technology Case Study: Livongo (Now Part of Teladoc Health)

Livongo exemplifies a successful prevention-focused technology aligned with CMMI's first strategic pillar. The company's diabetes management platform combines connected devices, data science, and human coaching to help individuals manage chronic conditions and prevent complications. Key success factors include:

Strong evidence base demonstrating clinical and financial outcomes: Livongo conducted multiple studies showing improvements in glycemic control and cost savings, providing the kind of evidence CMMI seeks for model expansion.

Whole-person approach addressing multiple conditions: The platform expanded beyond diabetes to address hypertension, weight management, and behavioral health, recognizing the interconnected nature of chronic conditions.

Integration with provider workflows and benefit designs: Livongo worked with providers, employers, and payers to integrate its solution into existing clinical pathways and benefit structures, reducing friction for adoption.

Focus on user experience and engagement: The platform emphasized simplicity, personalization, and timely interventions to drive ongoing engagement, recognizing that technology only works if people use it consistently.

Consumer Empowerment Case Study: Zocdoc

Zocdoc represents a successful consumer empowerment technology aligned with CMMI's second strategic pillar. The platform enables consumers to find providers, read reviews, check availability, and book appointments online, enhancing transparency and access. Key success factors include:

Comprehensive provider information: Zocdoc aggregates data on provider specialties, accepted insurance, languages spoken, and patient ratings, addressing information asymmetries in healthcare markets.

Seamless integration with provider systems: The platform connects with practice management systems to show real-time availability, reducing scheduling friction for both patients and providers.

Focus on convenience and accessibility: Zocdoc offers multiple ways to find and book care, including by symptom, procedure, provider name, or insurance plan, accommodating different consumer preferences and needs.

Continuous expansion of services: The platform evolved from appointment booking to include insurance verification, telehealth options, and digital check-in, addressing multiple pain points in the consumer healthcare journey.

Market Competition Case Study: Aledade

Aledade exemplifies a successful market competition technology aligned with CMMI's third strategic pillar. The company partners with independent primary care practices to form accountable care organizations, providing the technology, analytics, and support needed to succeed in value-based care models. Key success factors include:

Focus on independent provider success: Aledade designed its solutions specifically for independent practices, addressing their unique challenges and opportunities in value-based care.

Comprehensive technology platform: The company offers an integrated suite of tools for population health management, quality improvement, referral optimization, and financial performance, enabling small practices to compete with larger systems.

Risk-sharing business model: Aledade aligns incentives by sharing in both risk and reward with participating practices, creating mutual accountability for outcomes and costs.

Policy engagement and advocacy: The company actively engages with policymakers, including CMMI, to shape value-based payment models that work for independent providers, influencing the regulatory environment in which it operates.

Part VI: Challenges and Considerations

Implementation Challenges

Despite the opportunities presented by CMMI's strategy, health tech entrepreneurs face significant implementation challenges. These include integrating with legacy healthcare systems, navigating complex organizational workflows, addressing interoperability issues, and overcoming resistance to change among providers and patients.

Successful entrepreneurs address these challenges by conducting thorough user research, engaging stakeholders early in the design process, developing clear implementation playbooks, providing robust training and support, and demonstrating quick wins to build momentum. They also recognize that technology alone is insufficient—successful implementation requires addressing the human, organizational, and cultural factors that influence adoption and use.

Equity and Access Considerations

CMMI's strategy emphasizes building healthier lives across diverse populations, highlighting the importance of equity and access considerations for health tech entrepreneurs. Technologies that primarily benefit privileged populations may exacerbate health disparities, contradicting CMMI's mission to improve outcomes for all populations it serves.

Entrepreneurs should proactively address equity and access through inclusive design practices, culturally responsive approaches, multiple language options, accommodations for varying digital literacy levels, and solutions for limited connectivity environments. They should also consider pricing and distribution models that ensure accessibility for underserved populations and rural communities.

Balancing Innovation and Evidence

Health tech entrepreneurs face the challenge of balancing innovation with evidence generation—developing novel solutions while demonstrating their impact on outcomes and costs. This is particularly challenging for preventive interventions that may take time to yield measurable results.

Successful approaches include starting with focused use cases where impact can be demonstrated more quickly, developing phased evaluation plans that evolve as the solution matures, partnering with research organizations for independent validation, and using intermediate outcome measures as proxies for longer-term impacts. Entrepreneurs should also consider how their solutions can generate ongoing evidence through real-world implementation, creating a virtuous cycle of innovation and evaluation.

Navigating Political and Policy Uncertainty

Healthcare policy is inherently political, and CMMI initiatives may be influenced by changes in administration, congressional priorities, and broader healthcare reform efforts. This creates uncertainty for health tech entrepreneurs aligning their solutions with CMMI strategies.

Entrepreneurs can navigate this uncertainty by developing adaptable solutions that provide value regardless of specific policy directions, diversifying revenue streams beyond government programs, staying informed about policy developments, engaging with policymakers and industry organizations, and maintaining flexibility to pivot as needed. They should also consider how their solutions address fundamental healthcare challenges that persist across political environments, such as the need for better outcomes at lower costs.

Part VII: Future Outlook and Long-Term Strategic Positioning

Evolving Payment and Delivery Models

CMMI's strategy indicates a continued evolution of payment and delivery models, with increasing emphasis on global risk, population-based payments, and accountability for outcomes. Health tech entrepreneurs should anticipate these trends and position their solutions to support providers and payers transitioning to more advanced risk arrangements.

This may involve developing technologies that enable more sophisticated risk stratification, personalized care planning, predictive intervention, and financial performance management. Entrepreneurs should also consider how their solutions can support different stages of the value-based care journey, from initial fee-for-service with incentives to full capitation and global budgets.

Integration of Physical, Behavioral, and Social Care

CMMI's focus on whole-person health suggests increasing integration of physical, behavioral, and social care. Health tech entrepreneurs should consider how their solutions can support this integration by facilitating care coordination, data sharing, and collaborative care delivery across traditionally siloed domains.

This may involve developing platforms that connect clinical providers with behavioral health specialists, community-based organizations, and social service agencies. Entrepreneurs should also consider how their solutions can help identify and address social determinants of health that influence clinical outcomes, such as housing, food security, transportation, and social isolation.

Emerging Technologies and Their Impact

Health tech entrepreneurs should monitor emerging technologies that may reshape healthcare delivery and align with CMMI priorities. These include advances in genomics and precision medicine, ambient clinical intelligence, blockchain for health data exchange, advanced robotics, augmented reality for clinical decision support, and next-generation wearables and implantables.

Successful entrepreneurs will identify how these technologies can be applied to specific use cases aligned with CMMI's strategic pillars, focusing on practical applications rather than technology for its own sake. They will also consider how emerging technologies can enhance existing solutions, creating integrated ecosystems that address multiple aspects of healthcare transformation.

Preparing for Scaling and Sustainability

As CMMI moves successful models from testing to permanent programs, health tech entrepreneurs should prepare for scaling and sustainability. This involves designing solutions that can grow from pilots to widespread implementation, addressing technical and operational challenges associated with scaling, and developing business models that remain viable as payment models evolve.

Successful approaches include designing for modularity and configurability, developing robust implementation methodologies that can be replicated across settings, creating training and support resources that scale efficiently, and establishing clear metrics for monitoring performance at scale. Entrepreneurs should also consider transition strategies for when model tests end, ensuring their solutions continue to provide value in permanent programs or commercial markets.

Conclusion: Implications for Health Tech Entrepreneurs

CMMI's "Make America Healthy Again" strategy represents a significant opportunity for health tech entrepreneurs aligned with its core pillars. By focusing on prevention, consumer empowerment, and market competition, entrepreneurs can develop solutions that address critical healthcare challenges while advancing federal priorities for system transformation.

Success will require more than technological innovation—it will demand a deep understanding of healthcare delivery challenges, regulatory considerations, and the needs of diverse stakeholders. Entrepreneurs who combine innovative technology with robust evidence, strategic partnerships, and sustainable business models will be best positioned to capitalize on the opportunities presented by CMMI's strategic vision.

The entrepreneurs who will thrive in this environment are those who recognize that technology alone is insufficient for healthcare transformation. They will need to develop solutions that address technical, clinical, operational, financial, and human factors simultaneously. This requires interdisciplinary teams that bring together expertise in technology, healthcare delivery, payment models, behavioral science, and implementation.

As CMMI continues to evolve its approach to healthcare innovation, entrepreneurs should maintain flexibility and adaptability while staying true to the fundamental goal of improving health outcomes while reducing costs. By aligning with CMMI's strategic pillars while addressing persistent healthcare challenges, health tech entrepreneurs can play a pivotal role in building a healthcare system that empowers people to achieve their health goals and ultimately makes America healthier.

The path forward will not be without challenges—healthcare transformation is complex, involving numerous stakeholders with sometimes competing interests. Yet the alignment of federal policy priorities with technological innovation creates a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs committed to meaningful healthcare improvement. Those who navigate this landscape successfully will not only build sustainable businesses but also contribute to a healthcare system that better serves all Americans.

Future Considerations for Health Tech Entrepreneurs

Looking beyond the immediate opportunities presented by CMMI's current strategy, several emerging trends warrant consideration by forward-thinking health tech entrepreneurs.

The Evolution of Healthcare Consumerism

Consumer expectations for healthcare are increasingly shaped by experiences in other industries—seamless digital interactions, personalized recommendations, on-demand service, and transparent pricing. As CMMI emphasizes consumer empowerment, entrepreneurs should anticipate further evolution of healthcare consumerism, developing solutions that deliver the convenience, transparency, and personalization consumers increasingly demand.

This may involve designing healthcare experiences that feel less like traditional medical interactions and more like modern consumer services. Successful entrepreneurs will recognize that reducing friction in healthcare experiences is not merely a customer satisfaction issue but a clinical one as well, as improved access and engagement often lead to better outcomes.

The Changing Role of Traditional Healthcare Institutions

CMMI's emphasis on flexibility in care delivery and supporting independent providers suggests potential shifts in the role of traditional healthcare institutions. As care increasingly moves to homes, community settings, and virtual environments, hospitals and health systems may evolve from primary care delivery locations to coordinators of distributed care networks.

Entrepreneurs should consider how their solutions can support this evolution, developing technologies that enable care coordination across settings, connect traditional and non-traditional providers, and help institutions adapt to new roles in the healthcare ecosystem. Particularly valuable will be solutions that help traditional institutions extend their reach beyond facility walls while maintaining quality and continuity of care.

The Convergence of Public Health and Healthcare Delivery

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the artificial separation between public health and healthcare delivery, a divide that CMMI's prevention focus may help bridge. Forward-thinking entrepreneurs should anticipate greater convergence between these domains, developing solutions that support population-level interventions while enabling personalized care delivery.

This may involve technologies that identify community health patterns, enable targeted interventions for vulnerable populations, facilitate collaboration between healthcare providers and public health agencies, and measure the impact of combined approaches. Entrepreneurs who can successfully bridge public and individual health perspectives will be well-positioned as CMMI's prevention strategies evolve.

The Integration of Emerging Data Sources

The explosive growth of health-relevant data—from genomics and proteomics to environmental monitoring and social determinants of health—creates opportunities for entrepreneurs who can effectively integrate and derive meaning from diverse data sources. As CMMI emphasizes data access and transparency, solutions that transform raw data into actionable insights will be increasingly valuable.

Entrepreneurs should consider how their technologies can incorporate emerging data types, apply advanced analytics to derive meaningful patterns, translate complex data into understandable formats for different stakeholders, and ensure privacy and security throughout the data lifecycle. Those who can make sense of healthcare's expanding data universe while addressing practical implementation challenges will find fertile ground for innovation.

A Call to Action for Health Tech Entrepreneurs

The release of CMMI's "Make America Healthy Again" strategy represents both an opportunity and a responsibility for health tech entrepreneurs. The opportunity lies in aligning innovations with federal priorities, potentially accelerating adoption and scaling. The responsibility involves developing solutions that truly improve health outcomes, reduce costs, and enhance the experience of care for all Americans.

Entrepreneurs who approach this opportunity with humility, recognizing the complexity of healthcare challenges and the limits of technological solutions alone, will be best positioned for sustainable impact. Those who engage deeply with the communities they aim to serve, collaborating with patients, providers, payers, and policymakers throughout the innovation process, will develop more effective and equitable solutions.

The road ahead will involve experimentation, iteration, and occasional failure—hallmarks of the entrepreneurial journey in any domain, but particularly in healthcare where lives and wellbeing are at stake. Yet the potential reward—contributing to a healthier America through innovative technology aligned with thoughtful policy—makes this journey worth undertaking.

For health tech entrepreneurs reading this analysis, the message is clear: CMMI's strategic vision offers a roadmap for innovation that matters. By developing solutions that promote evidence-based prevention, empower people to achieve their health goals, and drive choice and competition, entrepreneurs can create sustainable businesses while contributing to meaningful healthcare transformation. The time for such innovation is now, as policy priorities, technological capabilities, and market demands converge to create unprecedented opportunities for impact.

The entrepreneurs who will lead this transformation will be those who combine technical expertise with healthcare knowledge, business acumen with ethical commitment, and innovative vision with practical implementation skills. They will develop solutions that address real problems faced by patients, providers, payers, and communities, creating measurable value while advancing the fundamental goals of better health, better care, and lower costs.

In the final analysis, the success of CMMI's strategy—and the entrepreneurs who align with it—will be measured not by the sophistication of the technology developed or the scale of businesses built, but by improvements in the health and wellbeing of Americans across diverse communities and circumstances. It is toward this ultimate goal that health tech entrepreneurs should direct their considerable talents and resources, guided by CMMI's strategic vision but driven by a fundamental commitment to making America healthier again through thoughtful, inclusive, and evidence-based innovation.